Humidifier systems

Abstract

A medical humidifier system for supplying humdified gas to a patient has a heat and moisture exchange device supplied with water from a pump, which is heated by a heater. A tracheal tube is connected to receive the humidified gas via tubing and a connector. The connector is mated with the machine end of the tracheal tube and includes a humidity sensor the output of which is connected to control humidification by controlling the speed of the pump and/or the temperature of the heater.

What I claim is: 
     
       1. A medical humidifier system for automatically controlling the humidity of a gas supplied to a patient, said system comprising: a humidifier, said humidifier including a heat and moisture exchange device, a supply of water to the exchange device, and a heater for heating the water supplied to the exchange device; tubing connected at one end with said humidifier; a patient breathing device; a gas connector connected at one end to said patient breathing device and at an opposite end to said tubing such that humidified gas flows to and from said moisture exchange device and to and from a patient via said tubing, said connector and said breathing device; a humidity sensor connected in said connector and exposed to gas flow through the connector for directly sensing the humidity of gas actually being supplied to a patient; and means responsive to an output from said sensor for automatically producing an increase in the humidification of the gas by said humidifier when there is a decrease in the sensed humidity of the gas and a decrease in the humidification of the gas by said humidifier when there is an increase in the sensed humidity of the gas. 
     
     
       2. A medical humidifier system according to claim 1 wherein said humidifier includes a water pump, said humidity sensor being connected to control the speed of said pump. 
     
     
       3. A medical humidifier system according to claim 1 wherein said humidity sensor is connected to control the temperature of said heater. 
     
     
       4. A medical humidifier system for automatically controlling the humidity of a gas supplied to a patient, said system comprising: a humidifier, said humidifier including a heat and moisture exchange device, a supply of water to the exchange device, and a heater for heating the water supplied to the exchange device; a patient breathing device; tubing connected at one end with said humidifier and at its other end with said patient breathing device such that humidified gas flows to and from said heat and moisture exchange device and to and from a patient via said tubing; a humidity sensor located at said breathing device for directly sensing the humidity of gas actually being supplied to a patient; and means responsive to an output from said sensor for automatically controlling humidification of the gas such that a fall in sensed humility produces an increase in humidification of the gas by said humidifier. 
     
     
       5. A medical humidifier system according to claim 4, wherein said humidifier includes a pump for supplying water to said exchange device, the output of said humidity sensor being operative to control the speed of said pump. 
     
     
       6. A medical humidifier system according to claim 5, wherein the output of said humidity sensor is also operative to control the temperature of said heater.